N.C. prisoners' harvest to help depleted food banks

North Carolina prisoners are working to harvest more than 13 tons of turnip greens for food banks faced with depleted supplies.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced Wednesday the first batch of 6,700 pounds from the Caledonia Correctional Institution farm near Tillery is heading to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. The Department of Public Safety has committed to provide the rest this fall.

The load is another effort by the McCrory administration to refresh food bank inventories. The governor announced last week the release of $750,000 in state funds to regional food banks.

McCrory's office has attributed diminished supplies to the partial federal government shutdown. Food banks also faced higher demand as officials worked out problems related to an expanded computer system that delayed processing food stamp applications.

Copyright 2013 by WCTI12. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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